2 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza building collapse

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Gaza when a building collapsed, the Israeli army said in a statement on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

The incident occurred in the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip along the border between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, where Israeli forces have been deployed since May.

The military identified one of the soldiers as Moshiko Maxim Rozenwald, 35, a company commander in the Combat Engineering Corps. The name of the second soldier was not released pending notification of his family. The two "fell during combat in southern Gaza," the military said.

The collapse occurred Monday afternoon when a reserve force entered a dilapidated structure in Rafah city. The military said the building likely collapsed due to damage from earlier Israeli strikes and the soldiers' entry.

Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, 818 Israeli soldiers have been killed, according to official figures.